Most Recent in Testing

In this study, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of a new smart lipid system in stabilizing and delivering carotenes into the epidermis. The system is shown effective in providing free-radical (FR) scavenging at different stages of skin exposure: immediately neutralizing FR present in the skin, blocking FR formation during UV exposure, and accelerating skin recovery after UV exposure.

Mechanisms implied in the skin absorption process and the role of cutaneous metabolism are of increasing interest to cosmetics research. In the present paper, the authors demonstrate how an experimental human skin explant model exhibiting great barrier function and metabolic activities can provide an understanding of what happens to cosmetic actives when they are topically applied.

Jan 29, 2015Trefor A Evans, PhD, T.A. Evans LLC

Around 10-12 years ago, shampoos and conditioners began appearing on the market claiming to be “color safe.” This strongly resonated with consumers. The present article discusses various contributors to the color fade process with a specific emphasis on measurements to quantify and understand color fade.

Jan 13, 2015

Reports are circulating that South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has published a "5 Year Plan for Animal Welfare" that establishes a plan to phase out animal testing for cosmetic products and eventually cosmetic ingredients.

Emulsions are popular vehicles in skin care due to their affinity for the skin; however, they are thermodynamically unstable systems. This study investigates zeta potential and particle size distribution as potential screening tools to predict instabilities in emulsion-based cosmetic products, to supplement regular accelerated stability testing.

Nov 12, 2014Trefor A. Evans, PhD; TA Evans LLC, Princeton, NJ USA

Hair is a distinctly variable material, and the nature of this substrate can have a major impact on laboratory test results. This article discusses hair as a laboratory substrate to provide guidance on minimizing variability and creating optimal test conditions.

Abnormal epidermal turnover in psoriatic skin impairs its barrier function and tissue repair capabilities. Therefore, studies of hyperkeratinization and hyperproliferation have been conducted to better understand the disease. Here, the administration of heavy water and a tape-stripping method are used to measure skin protein turnover in psoriatic skin and surrounding tissues. Results demonstrate benefits over other proliferation measurements.

In any sun protection evaluation method, an irradiation step is required to determine the photostability of the UV filters in a product. The aim of this study was to identify key parameters involved to improve this UV exposure. Here, the authors consider temperature at the substrate surface, air flow influence and beam uniformity during UV exposition.

A previous article discussed traditional measurements to assess the properties of hair spray products. However, the properties of polymer films deposited by these products are not constant and can be altered by both formulation means and environmental conditions. This article highlights additional useful measurement techniques for characterizing these film properties.

Vegetable-derived, mild and sustainable skin cleansing ingredients are in demand, and this has led to the development of new detergent structures. Described here is a combination of two mild surfactants that fulfils these requirements using the concept of “interrupted soap” to impart mildness. Studies to verify the functional, sensorial and mild characteristics of the new blend are detailed.

From the December 2001 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries, this article describes how both bending and abrasion should be tested–along with extension–when evaluating hair strength, as the authors show here in tests of an active developed to increase the strength of bleached hair.

May 20, 2014Trefor A. Evans, PhD, TA Evans LLC, Princeton, NJ

There are two general classifications of hair styling products—those that help with style creation and those that prolong the style. Both facilitating style creation and promoting hold longevity stem from the presence of water-soluble polymers in formulations. This paper discusses methods to evaluate these properties and quantify performance.

The authors propose an approach to assess the microbial stability of a product during use, referred to as the Microbiological Use Test (MUT), and apply this analysis in case studies to predict the microbiological risk of commercial products. The described test has been used successfully in the development of cosmetics.

The aim of this study was to monitor the evolution of biomechanical and optical properties of the skin with aging. Different biophysical parameters were measured, including skin: elasticity and firmness, color, brightness, fluorescence emission, sebum content, hydration and pH. A significant evolution of the evaluated parameters with aging was observed.

SPF test results from substrates treated using a traditional sandblasting technique are compared with those from substrates treated using a new process. Based on the topographic control of 10 batches and 34 sunscreen evaluations, the authors concluded the new process had better topographic reproducibility, consequently improving the SPF repeatability and reproducibility in vitro.

As an alternative to semi-invasive facial rejuvenation techniques, the authors developed an active ingredient to reactivate senescent fibroblasts by stimulating metabolic pathways for collagens I and III, and elastin. The biological activity of the resulting ingredient is investigated here using in vitro models, ex vivo explants and human volunteers.

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